title: Spinal cord injury after subclavian flap aortoplasty. An experimental study in piglets.
abstract: Paraplegia is a rare but much feared complication of corrective surgery for coarctation of the aorta. The problem was studied in 31 newborn pigs submitted to subclavian flap aortoplasty. The aortic cross-clamping time ranged from 9-25 min. Twenty-three piglets with clamping times 9-18 min were neurologically intact, whereas eight with aortic clamping for 18-25 min became paraplegic. The clinical implications for newborn children with symptomatic aortic coarctation are discussed with regard to these experimental findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Ostra Sjukhuset, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mellgren
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Friberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D013348:Subclavian Artery / Q000637:transplantation*; D013552:Swine